tepa

1 9.9

A chemical that kills insects on crops

noun
/ˈtɛpə/

Specialized

: tepa

Workers must wear protective gear when handling tepa in agricultural settings.

Examples

Farmers often use tepa to protect their crops.
Researchers studied the effects of tepa exposure on laboratory animals.
The use of tepa has declined due to concerns about its environmental impact.
The tepa was banned due to safety concerns.
Workers must wear protective gear when handling tepa in agricultural settings.
The use of tepa has declined due to concerns about its environmental impact.
Researchers studied the effects of tepa exposure on laboratory animals.

Surface Forms

tepa singular

tepas plural

Etymology

Tepa comes from the chemical name tetraethyl pyrophosphate, where tetra- means 'four', ethyl is the same part you see in ethanol, a common alcohol, and pyro- hints at 'fire' in old chemical names. So tepa is the short name for this chemical and helps you remember it is a small, very toxic pesticide.